


One Vial of John Sheppard

by sheafrotherdon



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: cliche_bingo, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-25
Updated: 2009-07-25
Packaged: 2017-10-11 22:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/117737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheafrotherdon/pseuds/sheafrotherdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a weird moment to get derailed by feelings, but as Rodney pauses in the doorway to the bathroom, watching John stare at the ceiling as he brushes his teeth, his heart gives a twist and he feels his ribs expand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Vial of John Sheppard

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by dogeared.

It's a weird moment to get derailed by feelings, but as Rodney pauses in the doorway to the bathroom, watching John stare at the ceiling as he brushes his teeth, his heart gives a twist and he feels his ribs expand, trying to create room enough for all the things he usually keeps in check. There's a split-second crack in his composure, a fault line deep inside, mirroring his spine, and he's suddenly struck by how goddamn fond he is of the graying man in front of him, shoulders still damp with spray from the shower, body scarred from giving too much, too often, too soon. Rodney swallows hard, presses his lips together, sets his shoulders, then gives in and crosses the wash of cool tile between them, wraps his arms around John's warm torso, rubs his nose into the crook of John's neck.

"Mmmm?" John asks, mouth full of toothpaste, and Rodney looks in the mirror, snorts softly at John's expression of puzzled concern.

"Just – " he bends his head, presses his nose against shower-sweet skin again, relaxes his hold as John bends forward to spit into the sink and rinse his mouth.

"What?" John asks, wiping his hand across his face, turning to lean back against the sink, folding his arms across his chest.

Rodney shakes his head and gestures helplessly, because he's nearly fifty and still doesn't know the words, isn't sure he's ever had them, doesn't know how he'd begin to say, "I saw the way you dealt with that Marine," or "Teyla needed to hear that, earlier," or "I operate on the assumption that nine days out of ten you're a reckless flyboy, and then you listen to that wizened old bag talk about astrology on M76-257 for _half an hour_ , just because someone should, and it's moments like that when I realize you've elbowed your way into, I don't know, places inside me that I do not acknowledge, that exist only in novels and sorry excuses for secondary plot-lines in otherwise quality action films which are not, I repeat, not acceptable, even if Gina Torres is the hottest woman to ever kick alien ass and need a few moments with her boyfriend right after, but . . ." and it's only then, with a dawning horror, that he realizes he's said it all. John smiles at him – smirks would be more like it – and Rodney feels a wave of heat prickle up his chest and burn a path to his ears. "Oh, shut up," he hisses, and steps in close, shoves at John's arms, presses up against the heat of John's bare body, kisses him with rather more enthusiasm than finesse.

And John turns them around, tugs Rodney with him, guides them slow and careful over to their bed and tumbles them both, kissing still, into a pile of aging limbs that tangle without bruises or accidents after all these years. "Someone slip truth serum into the beer?" John asks, breath hot and wicked in the shell of Rodney's ear.

Rodney shivers and arches up against him, dragging his fingers down the length of John's back. "No," he huffs, lets himself get distracted by the cleft of John's ass, humming softly as John scrapes his teeth against his throat. "You. That's all it is – dumb, lean, hairy you."

John kisses him softly, pulls back enough to offer up a knowing smile. "Gina Torres is totally . . . "

And Rodney has no choice but to whap him then, to lever his strength and flip them both, and as John laughs and laughs, belly leaping beneath Rodney's mouth, Rodney's heart twists behind his ribs once more, and he smiles his joy against the jut of John's hip.


End file.
